IMPACT: International Journal of Research in

Humanities, Arts and Literature (IMPACT: IJRHAL)

ISSN (P): 2347-4564; ISSN (E): 2321-8878
Vol. 7, Issue 2, Feb 2019, 67-72
© Impact Journals

IMPORTANCE OF THE SCHOOL LIBRARY AND IT’S MODERN SERVICES IN THE

PRESENT ERA

Urmila Deb
Librarian, Union High Madrasah (H.S.), Hooghly, West Bengal, India

Received: 24 Jan 2019 Accepted: 04 Feb 2019 Published: 07 Feb 2019

ABSTRACT
The school library is maintained to serve and support the educational activities of the school. It could help students
both in their academic and non-academic pursuits. The school library has primary, middle and secondary levels. The
functions, objectives, modern services and the importance of secondary school libraries have been discussed in this paper. A
computer system in a networked environment is necessary for the school library in the modern era. A modern school library
and its new services are very important for the students and teachers to adapt them to more advanced technology at the
present time.

KEYWORDS: School Library, Importance of School Library, Modern Services of School Library

INTRODUCTION

The school library is a part of the academic library. The library attached to the school helps in fulfilling the school’s
mission and a curriculum is called the school library. Primary school libraries have been designed to function and to perform
the educational programme at that stage and the secondary school libraries fulfill all academic requirements of the students
and teachers in learning and teaching and their own development. Here secondary school libraries have been discussed mainly.
Secondary school libraries support school programmes at three different stages, such as middle-class 6 to 8, secondary class
9 to 10 and higher secondary classes 11 and 12. The school library develops and sustain in pupils the habit and enjoyment of
reading and learning. The services of school library offer opportunities to increase experience and knowledge using library
resources. The school library should guide students in teaching and learning activities. In the present technological era, all
the modern services depend on computers in a networked system. It is necessary to provide computer-based modern services
to the readers of school libraries. School librarians need to aware of new technologies. It offers the opportunity to make them
more updated providing current information.

OBJECTIVES OF THE SCHOOL LIBRARIES

• · Building the habit of using the school library with reference to their learning for course requirements and the habit of
reading other learning resources for pleasure, recreation and gaining general knowledge.

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 68 Urmila Deb
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• · Developing learning skills for collecting information on any subject matter by consulting reference books and other
materials

• · Providing opportunities for students to get an idea of the library system, as a major resource for learning and use them
at later stages of life.

FUNCTIONS OF THE SCHOOL LIBRARIES

• · acquiring, maintaining, lending and keeping of books and other library resources relevant to the needs and interest of
teachers and students

• · Creating interest among teachers and students about the library materials and developing learning and reading skills
so that a student becomes a good user of learning resources

• · Building self-learning ability and skills for lifelong learning

• · Enabling the teachers to use learning resources to support various programmes of the school

IMPORTANCE OF SCHOOL LIBRARY AND ROLE OF LIBRARIAN

The secondary school Library helps in fulfilling the school’s mission and curriculum. The school library resources
should cover the curriculum, the general interest of the students and stimulate the children imaginative development. Library
material needs to be of high quality. The school library acquires a good stock of textbooks and reference books covering a
wide range of topics and subjects that serve the academic needs of students. It subscribes to more advanced books on all
subjects for brighter students. Selection of library collection should be proper and appropriate for students needs and their
age. The secondary school library should acquire standard children literature, youth literature, fiction and non-fiction of
different genres, a collection of short stories, picture books, folk literature for mental development of students. The school
library collection should include general books on science, social science, environment, travel guide games, and sports for
entertainment and to increase the knowledge of the students. To build moral character there will be a collection of biographies
of great persons in the library. A reference collection of the school library includes encyclopedias (junior levels), illustrated
dictionaries, reference books on different subjects, video and audiovisual materials, computer-based study materials. School
libraries subscribe to children’s magazines like Anandamela, Shuktara etc. for recreation. A wide range of journals and
newspapers enable to keep both teachers and students updated on current affairs.
In the digital era, computer and internet connection is very essential for school libraries. The school library will
subscribe to alibrarymanagement software. In a networking system, school library provides the links and portals of various
online resources such as e-books, e-journals, e-newspapers, e-audio, e-video etc. to increase the knowledge of the readers of
the school library and to enrich them.
School librarians have to play a role of teacher and guardian of the students with his regular activities in the school
library. To provide modern services there should be need of a computer and networking system. A library management

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software (such as Koha) should be installed on a computer in a web-based system. The librarian provides different types of
pictures, charts, models, maps, slides related to the texts to students to make the text more attractive. By accessing web pages
on the internet he can serve also necessary teaching aids to the readers of the school library. Librarian informs students about
the good text and reference books as well as electronic sources also. The Librarian will learn students about the use of the
online catalogue. Librarian teaches students how to retrieve documents using the call no. He learns them how to use a book
from the bookshelf as well as he should learn about the various search techniques so that they can retrieve the information
they need from online resources.

SERVICES OF SCHOOL LIBRARY

The services of the school library are lending service, information, consultation and reference service, guidance and
advice service, awareness service on current events, activities etc. Other routine services like display of jackets of currently
acquired books, newspaper clipping service, etc. Librarian can perform various programs such as book exhibition, quiz
programs, discussions on recent topics etc. To increasethe interest of students in the library. Special events like Book Weeks,
Book Fairs etc. can be held to encourage students to enjoy books.

MODERN SERVICES OF SCHOOL LIBRARY

There should be an availability of a computer system in a network environment in a school library for providing
modern services. Alibrary management software (such as Koha) will be installed on the computer in the school library. The
library is able to work its activities automatically using the library management software which will be a web-based resource
management application which can be accessed from anywhere. Automation is a way of preparing the collection to become
sustainable with the technology-based society. There are some activities should be completed for the library automation.
Then the lending process would be run automatically. The facilities of online catalogue and library automation system by
establishing library management software now have been operating in most of the libraries for providing modern library
services. These activities are accessioning each book and journal in the separate accession register, preparing call no. of
books and journals to make a database of all library materials or total collection on alibrary management software. Preparing
membership registration, making, barcode and spine label for sticking to the books or documents, creating a common database
of library resources of the school. The Librarian will prepare lists of books and journals according to the subject. He will
establish an online catalogue system. Students require an internet system for their online examination and online form fill
up. Accessing the links and portals of open access, e-books, e-newspaper, free thesis, e-audio, e-video, various free online
courses librarian fulfills the requirements of students and teachers.

Digital library services of the school library play a vital role in helping students to assimilate knowledge. If the school
Library materials are catalogued into a computer-based database and made keyword searchable, pupils can seek information
by using a word search in the school library. A digital library deals with organization and access to a large information
repository. It can be accessed from anywhere, anytime. Digital library services can also be provided here by creating a

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 68
70 Urmila Deb
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database of school library materials on a library management software. Digital library services can also be provided by
connecting library rules, access times, academic calendars and various useful links, etc. on the web pages of the specific
school library. It enables students to check the status or availability their requirements by logging in this portal from the school
websites. For the successful implication of digital library, it is essential that Library and Information Science professionals
are well trained and possess the knowledge and skills in this respect.

School library may create virtual learning opportunities for students in the modern era. A child’s learning extends
beyond the school library walls. It is no matter if they are inside or outside of the classroom. A virtual space helps students to
promote independent learning from anywhere. A cloud-based application, mobile technologies, online database collections
are readily available to many students today.

CONCLUSIONS

The school library gives students the opportunity to build their mental and moral development. It plays a very
important role and helps the school in achieving the educational objectives. Librarian teaches students how to locate the best
resources and how to assess and analyze the information they find. Depending on online information suggests librarians have
a role to play in helping students understand and assimilate knowledge. In the digital era, the learning center goes beyond
books. The school library may create a virtual school library to engage readers and support learning with a dynamic website
linked to the school’s website. The library should keep its resources and services updated in the interest of the entire school
community. The additional library staff -required will have to be determined on the basis the number of readers, the strength
of the collection, yearly acquisition and services offered, etc. Today new technological advances affect the way information
is handled in libraries and information centers. School librarian need to be aware of the implication of these changes and
develop technological skills, which will enable them to make effective use of information.

REFERENCES

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2. Divine Design: How to Create the 21st-Century School Library of Your Dreams. (2015, December 17). Retrieved
from https://smithsystem.com/resource-library/article-library/divine-design-create-21st-century-school-library-
dreams/

3. Frantsi, H., Kolu, K., & Salminen, S. (2002). A good school library. Helsinki: The Finnish national board of
education.

4. Importance of the school library in learning - the research. (n.d.). Retrieved from
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Importance of the School Library And It’s Modern Services in the Present Era 71
69

5. Kamila, K. (2017).” Pashchim Bangar bidhyalay granthagar byebastha : ekti gathanmulak alochana “.All Bengal
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school-libraries/purpose-of-the-school-library

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Impact Factor (JCC): 3.7985 - This article can be downloaded from www.impactjournals.us